Hope for the Hopeless Wife

Ask anyone that knows me and they’ll tell you I’m a fighter. Not in the terms of physical confrontations, but not being intimidated when faced with a challenge.

Although this is core to my personality, I find too often I am left in a heap of tears, tissues and ice cream when faced with the difficulties of being married.

Then suddenly today, as I shuffle into the kitchen I hear – Fight! Fight for your marriage. Fight like your very live depends on it because it may. The plans God has for us as a couple will never be realized if we just passively let our marriages die.

We fight when we Pray! Not those quick prayers we say over our food, but PRAYER! Bold Prayer! Weeping Prayer. You know the ones that leave you shaking, fervent, exhausted and clutching the hem of His garment expecting He will hear and answser.

Pray for Healing and Forgiveness. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalms 147:3. God sees every wound in your marriage, spoken and unspoken. Ask him to heal the hurts you’ve caused each other, and teach you how to forgive. Cleaning your hear of resentment and anger.

Pray for Unity. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 Pray the Lord draw you closer and help you see that you are not enemies but partners. Pray that where there is distance, he bring closeness. Where there is silence, he brings understanding, relying on the “third strand” be be every present and unbreakable in your marriage.

Pray for Communication and Understanding: “Let your conversations be always full of grace.” Colossians 4:6 Pray that God soften our words and opens our eyes and to speak with kindness, listen with humility, and respond with love. Pray that he breaks down the wall of misunderstanding and help you to speak the truth in love.

Pray for Faithfulness and Strength: “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest.” Galatians 6:9. Pray that when you feel tired and discouraged and are tempted to give up (and eat ice cream), that He remind us that He is not finished with your story! Pray that He helps you fight FOR you marriage and not against each other.

Pray for God’s presence in your Marriage: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builder labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1. Pray that Jesus be the center of your home and surrnder your marriage into his Hands. Ask Him to restore what has been lost and rebuild what has been torn down.

Do not stop praying! “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16. Even when things seem unchanged. Even when your spouse is distant. Even when it’s hard. Prayer is not our control, but surrender and when we invite God into the mess, He will do the work only He can do.

May we always remain, In His Grip….